96 User Reviews of Triumph Cruise Ship

It's been a week and some change since my body returned ashore
in Galveston again, but I'm still not myself. I'm pretty sure I'm
still out in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico aboard the Carnival
Triumph and don't have any intentions of returning anytime soon. I
was a first time cruiser on this journey so my opinion may be
biased as I have nothing to compare it to, but regardless, I felt
compelled to write about my wonderful experience. This will
probably be lengthy, so feel free to skip through if you don't have
the time.

I went on a four day cruise with my mother and sister. My mother
cruised a long time ago when Carnival Cruise Lines was just the
Carnival, and my sister was a first timer the same as myself. Just
to be clear, we're both in our twenties, so we went as a fully
adult family (no kids). My aunt and uncle had been out of Galveston
twice in the past year or so (but on the Magic), so they had a lot
of experience to share with us for getting through Port

Galveston and utilizing time and money wisely on the ship. Just
about everything they told us (except for the differences between
the Magic and Triumph) was extremely accurate and made our
experience wonderfully smooth. I recommend to any first time
cruisers - regardless of ship and line - to find some family or
friends whom have been at sea recently to brief you on your journey
beforehand. It's extremely helpful!

Galveston was unseasonably cold and miserable on departure day,
but for being a cruise during the holidays, things seemed pretty
light at the port terminal. The porter was quick to help us with
our bags and was the first of many very friendly Carnival employees
we would come across. We were expecting gigantic lines for check-in
through what were we told was a maze of a building and obstacles,
but they breezed us through very quickly. I think we waited a total
of five minutes to check in, and security was even faster than
that. We were on the ship a lot earlier than we expected. We were
also told that they wouldn't begin embarkation until 12:30 but we
were eating lunch on the Lido deck by 11:30! They also made an
announcement aboard the ship that staterooms would not be ready
until 1:30, but being my inquisitive self, I left my family to
continue eating as I explored the ship, and I found myself at our
stateroom pretty quickly - and it was ready long before then
(though the bags hadn't arrived yet).

There's really nothing to do while waiting for departure, and
everything aboard the ship is closed except for the bars and food
places on Lido, as well as the Lobby bar where everyone boards the
ship. They are playing loud party music the whole time which is fun
for a while, but you have to save some of that party for departure.
Some people (including us) eventually went to their rooms to catch
a quick nap or just learn the features of a stateroom. We had an
exterior/ocean view room on Main deck near the bow on the port side
- which gave us a good view of the boarding action and gangway.
Once again a common theme, they said everyone should be aboard by
3:30, but people were still being allowed to board 10 minutes
before the safety briefing. The crew of the Triumph seemed to be
very lenient on scheduled times for important events throughout the
entire voyage, which is fine, but it made for a late departure from
Galveston as well as from Cozumel.

As far as organization goes, boarding was smooth and most
everything while underway as well. However, there were a few times
which the process seemed to be completely unorganized and the
thousands of passengers aboard just flooded the stairwells and
elevators. The first time this happened was for the mandatory
safety briefing, which they ask you to report to your muster
station so you can watch them demonstrate how to put on a life
vest. One thing I noticed right away though, they do not make it
very clear where the muster stations are even for someone who pays
attention to details. I eventually found small signs near the
stairs that depicted them, but that was long after we were
underway. There is nothing in the stateroom that tells you where to
go, and muster stations aren't really organized to staterooms
either. It was for these reasons that you had people coming from
forward cabins going to rear stations and vice versa, as well as
crossing between port and starboard stations. It was pretty
chaotic, and they lined everyone up shoulder to shoulder three or
four lines deep, so it was pretty hard to watch the crew members
demonstrate anything. I think a much more acceptable safety
briefing would be to override all the TVs aboard the ship,
including the big screen on Lido, and just let people watch it from
where they are. It probably took a good half hour from our
scheduled departure time to watch a five minute briefing, so most
of that time was spent just getting people to the right stations
and lining them up. I think that process can be streamlined big
time - or in the very least provide each stateroom with a diagram
of muster stations so people know where to go.

Once the mess cleared up though, the party was on and we left
Galveston about an hour late. Other features aboard began to come
alive as we made it into open water, but people were already
attacking the bars and casino which were not allowed to open until
international waters - because we left late they didn't get to open
until around 6:00 that evening. We spent some time in the Lobby
drinking, and of all the bars aboard I think I spent the most time
there. It is in the middle of the atrium and there's constantly
things going on around it, so it is not a quiet place to drink, but
they seemed to be the most generous with the alcohol of all the
bars during the voyage.

Dinner was quite a treat for us since we were allowed to dine in
t-shirts and jeans on Casual nights, but the dining room and
service is extremely formal. It takes some getting used to if
you're not exposed to formalities too often. The food was good
though, even though I have seen other reviews saying that it was
bland, generic, etc. I found it to be very tasty, and the menu
selection was pretty good for adults - and selection changes
nightly. A lot of items offered I couldn't see too many children
ordering though, but they have off-menu service as well if they
can't pass on the chicken nuggets. The desserts are probably the
best, and a lot of them are made with artificial sweeteners.

Afterwards I split from my family and went to the duty free
liquor store. You can't beat 4 1-liter bottles of Bacardi products
for $38 anywhere in the states! Of course you cannot have your
liquor until it is delivered to you the evening before debarkation,
but they delivered mine in time that we could have made some last
minute drinks. A word of advice, though: be sure you know the
allowances that U.S. Customs allows you to bring back, because if
you're over the limit, you'll end up having to pay the tax on them
anyway. Basically you can bring back 1 liter of alcohol per person
of age in your group. I spent the rest of the evening exploring all
of the bars aboard the ship, and I might have done a little
gambling (which I don't really remember). Since you're isolated on
the ship in international waters, the bartenders seem to have no
problem getting you drunk as long as you remain civil and coherent,
and of course can afford to keep paying $8/drink. Be careful - that
adds up at the end of the trip, but I knew that going into it. I
think I had some pizza on the Lido deck to end the night, and I
managed to make my way safely back to the stateroom, where I found
my family already fast asleep. Party poopers!

As far as bars go, I spent most of my time in the Lobby bar
(which I think has another name but I just called it "Lobby").
There's lots of noise and people around everywhere, but like I
mentioned they seemed the most generous on the good stuff. The bar
in the casino is probably where I spent the least time drinking. It
is always very busy and the staff seems to be the least attentive
-but they do allow smoking on one side (cigarettes only as I
learned - no cigars). Another bar I spent a lot of time in is the
California Wine Bar. It serves wine, but it serves other stuff too
(including a martini taster). I even saw some people angered by
that fact. It is in a high traffic area but is often bypassed, so
it's pretty quiet. Just behind it is the Big Easy piano bar, which
is also nice if you're into that. There's going to be a lot of
repeat songs in there, though. Club Rio is very much like a lounge,
dark and drafty with velvety seats all around. It's a good place to
drink while watching the comedy or karaoke acts, but tableside
service is slow. There are also numerous smaller bars on the Lido
deck, which are basically just poolside walkups. If you're looking
for peace and quiet, the Oxford Pub is the best. It was always dead
when I went there, so there's no one to talk to usually, but it's
extremely quiet if you need a break from the noise and action of
the ship. There are lots of comfortable seats, too. It is hard to
find though, mid-ship on Deck 4, which is cutoff from the forward
and aft parts of that deck.

The Fun Shops weren't exactly what I expected them to be, but
worth a look nonetheless. The liquor store was my favorite, of
course. It was small, though, which meant small selection - but
they also have all your small dry good necessities, and some
pharmacy items, on hand. The majority of these stores on one side
were souvenirs and the other was jewelry. There was also a
fragrance shop and clothing shop. Almost every time I passed them,
one would always be jam packed full of people due to some promotion
they were throwing, so one could hardly ever find breathing room to
just browse. I suggest you do your shopping at port.

The Rome Lounge is more of a small auditorium stuffed into the
forward part of the ship. I found it quite amazing something that
grand would be in a ship (it took space on 4 decks and probably had
close to 500 seats), but they didn't seem to offer very many shows
of interest in there. Most of the time they were offering
information about Carnival sailing and going ashore, and other
times there was a lot of Bingo being played. In the evenings they
did have some small productions. I caught the show that reviewed
many of the Broadway hits, and the performers were very talented,
but in general it just didn't keep my interest. I am a big fan of
musicals too, but I didn't find it very entertaining. It is not
formal theatre at all, either - people are allowed constantly to
come and go as they please. It made me feel that they aren't
utilizing the space to its full potential, because it truly is a
grand theatre area.

The first sea day we went through some rough water, and
sometimes would experience trouble walking. It wasn't too bad
though, but the high wind forced them to close the mini golf and
other activities on the upper decks. Otherwise, there was plenty of
activity across the ship all day and night, and lots of activities
offered. That was also the formal dinner night, or as they say,
"Carnival Elegant". They even rent dresses and tuxedos for it, but
I just stuck with a collared shirt and slacks. I didn't pack my
dress shoes either, but I got by wearing my walking shoes. Most
people stayed dressed well into the evening. I returned to Club Rio
to watch the "family friendly" comedy act. Unfortunately, I think
due to the self-censoring, the comedian I saw bombed horribly
mostly because of lack of clean material.

The next morning we finally arrived to nice, warm weather in
Cozumel. Getting off the ship was unfortunately the most
unorganized mess I've had to wade through in a long time. As soon
as people saw we were approaching the pier, they began to flood the
stairwells, and so there was just a ton of people moving very
slowly trying to squeeze through the small doors downstairs.
Families were getting separated. No announcements were made other
than a "welcome to Cozumel", and no efforts to organize the mess
were being made either. In fact, there were even some employees in
the middle of the chaos trying to sell $5 bottles of water. The
only positive part of such an experience is that everyone was in
such a good mood so there wasn't really any cutting in line,
complaining, or anything else - just a lot of wise cracks and
excitement. This was the part of the voyage where Carnival truly
failed to impress me - everything else I was quite happy with.

Since this is a review of the Triumph, I will skip the details
on Cozumel, only to say that it's so Americanized that you don't
even feel the least bit out of place or unsafe - at least in the
cruise ship area. I didn't go into town so I can't say what it's
like there, but I assume it's very much the same. Getting back on
the ship was the same nightmare as getting off - no organization
and very slow security process. We departed about an hour late, but
everyone was so drunk and happy that the entire ship was partying
as we said goodbye to Mexico. They held a late night party on the
Lido deck, which was a lot of fun, but we ran back into the weather
we'd left behind and mid-party it began to get very windy and
cold.

The second sea day was a rough one. Winter in the Gulf of Mexico
at its finest. I was watching the waves from the outer part of the
Lobby deck crash on the bow of the ship and then splash nearly
twenty feet away from us. The rough seas were not unfelt throughout
the ship. In fact, I could not really sit down for a long period of
time because I'd begin to feel queasy. Walking around was tough for
a lot of people, too, but everyone remained in good spirits. I
stayed on the Lido deck most of the day, just because it seemed to
be the least motionless deck, although the pools had been drained
because it was so rough, water was going everywhere. Also, the list
of ship's activities was much shorter than the outbound sea day's.
There was hardly anything to do except drink and gamble. It seems
like they should spend a lot of time that day entertaining people,
because they'll all be sad the next when they have to get off the
ship.

Carnival realized there were a lot of Dallas Cowboys fans
requesting the game on this trip, so it made the big screen that
evening as a planned event. So instead of dinner, my family and I
took part in the dining room lunch for the first time. The menu was
decent, but service was nothing like the evening dinner service.
These were different waiters, and they were not as friendly or
attentive as the evening crew. I would just stick to lunch on the
Lido deck. So that evening in rough seas, my family went out on the
Lido deck amongst a bunch of other Cowboys fans bundled up in warm
clothes, blankets, and towels to watch the game on the big screen.
It was not a scene you'd expect on a cruise, but everyone was
making the best of it. This being a few days past Christmas though,
there were a lot of kids on this trip. It seemed tolerable most of
the trip for singles, couples, and adults in general, but the last
evening things kind of got out of hand. There were a lot of kids
just roaming free throughout the ship with no parents around. Yes,
even in the casino. That wouldn't be tolerated in Las Vegas. I
don't know why that evening was different from the rest, but it was
enough to say I wouldn't go around Christmas again.

To counter that, I went to the late night "adults only" comedy
show, where the comedian I'd seen before did a lot better
material-wise. The second comedian was extremely funny, and had
everyone laughing start to finish. It was a nice way to end the
night and keep minds off of the rough waters we were all feeling.
The host of the show also brought up an interesting statistic that
made me think there were a lot of fellow Texans aboard. He said
that the Club Rio bar for a standard four day trip usually takes in
about $12000-$14000 in liquor sales, but this voyage being so near
Christmas had over 1100 passengers under 18, they estimated a much
lower take. By that night (and they weren't even finished serving
yet), they had brought in $34000 on our trip alone, in that bar
alone. I got a good laugh from that, too.

Information was readily available about debarkation across the
ship, so they are most organized when trying to get everyone off
the ship. Everything is done the night before - if you're checking
your bags they bring tags, and they also bring your Declarations
forms. They tell you to debark by floor numbers and stay out of the
Lobby. Carnival means business for arrival. Everything except Lido
is shut down, and we went to breakfast before getting ready to
leave. When we came back, they had already started to clean our
room. They were friendly about it, but it was obvious they wanted
to turn the ship fast, as it was leaving again that same afternoon.
Everything in that process went smoothly, except that the handle on
one of my liquor boxes broke and one of my bottles went leaking all
over the floor of the Lobby. I was very upset for a few minutes,
but to anyone that was trying to step around that mess, I
apologize. It turned out that I would have had to pay taxes on it
anyway as I was one over my family limit, but of course I was
willing to do that so I still considered it a loss. But getting
through Customs was a breeze and again Port Galveston was a cinch.
We were on our way home in no time.

That is where I'll conclude my inexperienced cruise review. I
hope it offers some insight into first time experiences and the
Carnival Triumph. Carnival has some issues here and there, and I
don't expect perfection, but overall it was an amazing experience
that left me high, dry, and begging for more. It was not nearly
long enough for me and I am already trying to arrange to go on my
second cruise for my upcoming birthday. This time I'll probably go
it alone or with a friend, and on a longer trip with more ports of
call. Would I sail on Triumph again? Yes. Would I sail on Carnival
again? Yes. But would I consider another cruise line as well? Yes,
if just for the perspective.

Our 2011 Carnival cruise ship experience on the Triumph was not
a pleasurable or comfortable experience at all for my family, and
consisted of such atrocities as a children's counselor using foul
language in front of the kids, a sewage leak on our floor just 2
doors from our cabin, a terrible vibration in the room that kept us
from sleeping at night, a sharp piece of aluminum floor trim that
cut my 8 year old daughter's toe so badly we needed to seek medical
attention off ship as the ship's doctor and nurse would not assist
us, small groups of delinquent teenage/early 20â€²s men roaming the
hallways looking for fights with other people, and a staff that
generally didn't care about the issues we were having.

We created a website dedicated to our terrible cruise. Visit it
and read about our Carnival trip.

Embarkation was a breeze as Carnival allowed boarding starting
at 10:30 am. No lines and right to the ship at 11:00am when we
arrived.

Shows on cruise were good. Better than the 3 previous we went on
all with Carnival. The hypnotist was the best. Food was as good as
usual but found the portion size smaller than in the past. I guess
they are cutting costs where they can. The Filet Mignon had broiled
shrimp added as the entree. Very tasty. Ports of Call Belize,
Roaton, and Cozumel. All were great! Best collection of ports we
have seen thus far as we love to snorkel. Great reef!

Only disappointment was the layout of the Triumph. Did not like
the fact that the 3 and 4 levels you could not go fore to aft on
either side of the ship as the dining room is on the 3 and 4 level
aft. All in all, a very good cruise.

Sail date, yesterday 1-27-14. After booking a hotel the night
before, and traveling to the docks, we learned that Carnival had
cancelled our reservations. They said e-mails were sent, but we
didn't receive any. Come to find out, they had the wrong e-mail
address. Also, in the days leading up to the cruise, the Carnival
web site said "welcome, 14 days til cruise", 12 days to cruise, 9
days til cruise, etc.. It was counting down the days til our
cruise. It gave no indication to us that our cruise had been
cancelled.

The lady at customer relations said that it was "impossible" to
not get e-mails, and it was "impossible" for the web site to count
down the days if there was a cancellation. But it did happen that
way. She basically called me a liar, and offered no compensation,
future discounts or anything. Not only that, our deposit, and
cancellation insurance was forfeited.

Overall experience with my 2nd carnival cruise, which we have
done more with other cruise lines, was OK! The kids (8 & 6)
loved it, but my wife and I had our issues.

embarkation: The only way to get on the boat is through VIP
check-in, we were on the boat less that 10 minutes from being
dropped off by the shuttle. Our room #9205 was set-up for 4, was a
jr. suite and had plenty of storage and space for kids. with
balcony, bed was comfortable,and in a section at the end of the
hall where you heard nothing most of the time.

Leaving out of galveston, you had all sorts of people, and we
noticed that a lot of couples were onboard. This makes me laugh,
cause you know the KIDS rule the ship and swimming pools. Mostly
all the kids were in the pools and hot tubs... if you think that
the carnival ship is a place to romantic hot-tub relaxing... your
wrong! all kids were jumping in and out (including mine) in the hot
tubs and got many patrons upset.SORRY! Food: I have better, it the
same

"Ryans, Furrs, or Golden Corral quality. We had breakfast in the
main dining room to avoid the crowds, but that was super bad, and
getting worse through the days. Every ham/chesse omelette, arrrive
burned, burned enough to peel it open.

Drinks were ok but weak, had to have double shots,or drink beer.
Formal dining is ok, but seemed rushed most nights. Food ok,
nothing special, was disappointed with desserts like cherrys
jubillee, and baked alaska. Ordered mostly on repeat food item
menu.

Music on deck was too loud, and such old songs played, and I'm
55. would have like more upbeat tropical or dance music. Shows were
bad. New Orleans finale show was stupid... didn't even celebrate
Mardi Gras other that beads and streamers. Shore excursion: cozumel
Great place for beach... Passion Island is great but to crowded...
carnival dream was at port too. Progresso was horrid... vendors
unbearable and transfer to ship/town ridicules. My kids dreaded
kids camp, did not send them after seeing several kids crying for
their "mommies". Staff was nice, not overly friendly, seemed to me
that they were overworked or irritated. Some were just forced to
say Good morning as we walked the halls.

The whole amostsphere of the Triumph was good, It's a GREAT ship
for KIDS to enjoy. The water slide, pizza, and ice cream were my
kids favs... wished they would show better movies on deck instead
of oldies like :sweet home alabama. That was wierd. Photots on
board are good. We brought so many, just because you pay just as
much with a sitting in a studio with possible 2 backgrounds,
whereas we had multiple scene backdrops that we paid close to
%250.00/ same price. Overall good cruise, just as I expected, My
kids love shopping at Walmart, and make any opportunity to go
there, Carnival Triumph is the same quality and standards as
such.

The Triumph had about 2,000 people aboard this time and has 11
decks. This was a 5 day sail out of the port of Galveston to
Progreso Mexico and Cozumel. I was on deck 10 in an inside state
room about 4 rooms away from the forward elevators. This was really
an ideal location because of the way the ship is laid out. There is
a pool and hot tub close-by and the lido deck where most of the
food choices and buffets are.. is one floor below. The cabin I had
was spacious, the bed was unbelievably comfortable with buttery
soft linens and pillows. I got towel animals every night with
chocolates and the room is made up twice per day. I love the
bathroom showers. They are quite roomy and set up perfectly..Very
well thought out. They provide luxury robes as well. There is more
than enough room for your hanging clothing as well as storing your
other clothes. Ample room in the safe as well (no extra fee). The
TV is old but it works and you do get at least 8 or so channels
plus PPV

movies. They have some nights where they show free movies with no
PPV charge. This is great compared to my Celebrity cruise where the
TV never worked in the 7 nights we sailed in our balcony suite. You
can also access all the charges to your account via the TV and they
keep them current (daily).

The staff on board this ship are amazing..I don't think I ran
into one bad staff member. They were all 10 steps above any staff
member I encountered at Celebrity. They far exceeded any
expectation and went out of their way to help and do everything
they could to make sure you had fun and enjoyed your trip, period!!
My room was always cleaned well, service everywhere always
excellent. Employees here more often than not always smiling..truly
enjoying their jobs!!

Now..Where Carnival could use some improvement is their food at
the South Beach Buffet. The food here is often mediocre. One thing
could always be counted on to be good, and that was the fish! The
only time the fish was not outstanding was when they fried it. The
other thing that was almost always delicious was their
desserts..even the diet desserts!! The meatloaf was surprisingly
delicious with au jus gravy. However, the other red meat and pork
chop dishes were always TOUGH and needed some serious tenderizing!!
I tried two or three different kinds of steak dishes and two
different pork dishes and they were so tough that I took one or two
bites and stopped. I also never saw mashed potatoes. Potato salad
every single day gets old. Their cornbread dressing tasted like
glue. Their chicken dishes were usually pretty good..On a 1 to 5
scale - usually a 3 to a 5. Fresh fruits and salads available daily
and those were always good. Breads were just ok. Buffet
recommendations overall - get the fish dishes, fried shrimps,
potato salad, fresh fruits and salad and any dessert that looks
good to you. Go over to Chopsticks (near the South Beach buffet
line) and get the glass noodles!! They are to die for! I tried the
Pizza place on board one day. I had the goat cheese (Chevre goat
cheese), sausage and mushroom pizza. Honestly, it was not that
good. I'd give it a 3 out of 5 at best. In the main dining room the
only three memorable things I had to eat were: the Lobster (on
elegant night), the dessert pear soaked in wine (diet), and the
shrimp cocktail. Note: be sure to ask for two lobster tails on
elegant night as the lobster tails they serve you are tiny and they
don't mind bringing you a second! Breakfast - If you're like me and
you do not want to bother with main dining room for bfast, the made
to order omlets are good on the lido deck, sausages are just ok and
you have to go to the middle of South Beach buffet line to be
served up some bacon if you want any. Coffee is excellent in the
main dining room but just ok at South Beach buffet.

Extra charges - Bottled water does not come cheap on this ship.
I spent at least $40 in 5 days on just bottled water. A canned coke
is $2. Alcoholic beverages will cost you too..My tab for those was
pretty pricy as well. About 6.50 for a small rum punch. Large rum
punch was $14. You are not allowed to bring any alcoholic beverages
on board. I rode in a transport van with 3 women who got their
bottles of alcohol (that they had packed in their luggage)
confiscated. I did see people attempting to bring cases of water
and cokes on board - I do not know if they let them or not. I had
one large bottled water in my carry on bag and no one questioned
that or searched me. Make sure you have 2 robes and 2 beach/pool
towels in your room when you get there, otherwise, you will be
charged for them later! I was missing 2 robes. The tea and coffee
is free. I suggest if you like coffee and tea, drink to your hearts
content! $50 per person in the cabin is auto charged to your sail
and sign card for tips (pre-paid) so you don't have to worry about
paying at the end of the cruise. However, they will leave you and
envelope for the Maitre' D on your last night to tip him at your
last dinner. He is not included in that $50 pre-paid tip.

Port stops: I can't say much about Progreso, Mexico as I did not
get off the ship. It was raining and I had heard that Progreso was
not all that enthralling. However, don't go by what I heard!!!
Cozumel: rented a car and snorkeled in front of the Cozumelena
Hotel, Playa Corona, and Playa Palancar. All good snorkel spots.
Playa Palancar is pretty far from port so you will need a rental
car to get there but it is the most comfortable and probably most
picturesque spot of all. It is also away from the throngs of
tourists so you won't feel like a sardine. The fish tacos here are
to die for and the loungers are pretty and padded. Tropical drinks
are good and frosty and served chair side..as are any meals or
snacks you want from the grill. All very reasonably priced. The
snorkeling here is not bad either!!

Debarkation on this ship is long and arduous. It needs to be
streamlined.

Overall, when I compare this cruise to Celebrity (which I paid
tons more money for), Carnival wins hands down because of the
excellence in service. My Cabin Steward (Muhammad) was stellar in
his service, my cocktail waiter (Arthah) in the casino was
outstanding, fast and always had a smile for me, and "Z" my main
dining room waitress was fun, fast and always accommodating.

This was our 10th cruise on Carnival and our 12th from New
Orleans. We are laid back travellers and pretty good at going with
the flow. However, this cruise may have us looking to another ship
and departure port in the future. As you read this be aware that I
am a native New Orleanian

We live 3 hours away so drove in the morning of the cruise.
Drive up, pay your money with credit card or cash, park and head
into the terminal. Very easy. As platinum members, we went to a
special waiting area where we sipped OJ and ate cookies while
waiting for our names to be called. From the time we left the car
to walking onboard took about 15 minutes.

Rooms were not ready until 1:30 so we had lunch at the buffet.
The dining room is not open for lunch on embarkation day. At about
1:25 we headed up to our room area and found the hallway doors
still closed. No problem. About that time two women with 4 children
ages about 4-8 came through and began cursing about the rooms not
being ready. They

repeatedly and loudly declared this wasl bull****. They had paid
for this cruise and they were going to their MF***ing rooms. The
children began chanting bull**** repeatedly. everyone in the party
thought this was quite cute. They jerked open the door, berated the
hall steward and went to their room. A few moments later the doors
were open for everyone. This behavior became the norm for a very
large number of passengers on this cruise.

The food on the Triumph was a completely mixed bag. Some items -
fish, vegetables and salads were very well done, while the soups
and deserts were just awful. The deserts especially seemed to have
no flavor. Anything with a creamy filling or topping was a very
attractive but tasteless greasy concoction. Portions were quite
large, especially for cruise fare. Frequently I could not finish my
entree portion and I'm a "clean your plate" kinda' gal.Dining room
service was very good and the servers anxious to please. Since
there is no steak house onboard, several items are available for
$18 - steak and lobster.

While we did not order anything from the bar, it did seem that
service was slow. We were seated at table 341 in the Paris dining
room which afforded a great aft view. Anytime dining was advetised
as being available in the London dining room, but our waiter said
they were using some of the small tables in the Paris for anytime
as well. The waiters only did their dance routine one time during
the cruise.

Bands throughout the ship were very good and played a nice mix
of music. Our only disppointment was that our version of dance
music (ballroom, romantic stuff) was usually offered in the lounge
reserved for cigar smoking and it was awaft with smoke, so we
skipped the dancing for breathing.

Our cabin was 6350 and well located. Convenient and without
ordinary problems. Had our hall neighbors not whooped, hollered,
slammed doors and hung out in the hall all night it would have been
quite nice.

The cabin is spacious and actually had TWO wall outlets in the
cabin area. There is a shaver plug in the bathroom which is part of
the wall mounted hair dryer. The shower is larger than most ships
and had plenty of water pressure. Soap and shampoo are in wall
mounted dispensers. There was a normal sized medicine cabinet
complete with a door. There was more than enough storage place for
DH and I.

There were three full sized closets in the cabin and two smaller
ones beneath the vanity and the TV. There was a loveseat that folds
out to a bed. I think this was the only ship I've been on where the
bed is next to the window. My side of the bed gave me about 8" of
walking space between the bed and balcony window. No problem for
me, but a larger person might have a problem.

The balcony had two side chairs and a small table. The partition
between balconies can be opened by the room steward. When open it
will partially obscure the view of one cabin.

The safe in the room is the kind which uses your room key or
credit card. This is problematic as only one room kay opens it (if
you set it with yours, your roommate cannot open it with his) We
worked around it, but the pin number kind is more user
friendly.

The casino has the usual assortment of slots and table games and
the slots and video poker machines were about as tight as I've ever
encountered on a ship. Not many happy slot players. You use your
room key to download credits. This became a somewhat cumbersome
process as many of the keypads on the machines were well worn and
had to be mashed repeatedly to respond. Likewise, many of the
multiple line slot machines were set only for the maximum number of
lines and the lower bet per line values were not available.

There were two slot tournaments and one blackjack tournament.
There was also a Texas hold 'em event but it was by video link or
something.

The pool area in the back has adults only spas but the pool is
for all ages. The children of course use the spas and no one
oversees the usage. The roof of this area is retractable which was
nice as our sea day home was quite cool. However, the closed space
makes for a noisy place when you add a few dozen children. There is
a bar, a grill and ice cream station in the area.

The main pool area has stadium style seating which is great for
viewing the big screen TV. The LSU - Alabama game was on one
afternoon which was quite an event! There is a water slide which
was open depending on weather.

The buffet is your typical buffet food with the typical
bottlenecks. There is plenty of seating, especially if you are
willing to go upstairs. The NY deli and Chinese noodle restaurant
are in the buffet area and offer a nice alternative to the
buffet.

The spa area includes a free steam and sauna with rooms that
look out over the sea. The showers are very large and a good
alternative for those who find their cabin showers
claustrophobic.

Disembarking was quick and easy. As platinum members we were to
meet in the London dining room at 6:45 and actually were off the
ship a few minutes before that. By 6:55 we were on I-10 heading
home.

Now for the rant: There were several group reunions onboard and
some behaved horribly. They seemed to have no concern whatsoever
for anyone around them. One evening they decided it would be "fun"
to blockade the bathrooms near the casino. Then they grew bored
with that and decided to bar entry of staff members to a staff
access door. They repeatedly would sit side by side and block
entire stairways and defy you to try and pass them. Security was
never anywhere to be seen and they became quite intimidating to a
lot of passengers.

We have experienced a bit of this on our last short cruise from
N.O. but decided it was a fluke. This cruise proved to us that it
seems to be the norm for Carnival's New Orleans operation. I
understand that 4 day cruises attract a different demographic than
7 day, but the lack of security's intervention is without excuse. I
love New Orleans and it's people, but I'm afraid the Triumph will
not be seeing us again.

Having never cruised with Carnival, but having disparaged them
because of their "Party Hearty" and advertising campaign featuring
Kathy Lee Gifford I felt it only fair to give up all pre-conceived
notions about Carnival Cruise Line and their newest ship the
Carnival Triumph. This report is based on our 4 day cruise from NYC
to Halifax, Nova Scotia on 9/12/99 to 9/16/99. This was our tenth
cruise, other lines we have sailed include Holland America,
Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, Princess and Commodore. All our
previous cruises were in the Caribbean.

New York City is an incredible place to cruise away from. No
other port has the look of NYC which seems to rise right out of the
water. It is simply thrilling to sail from this port. We arrived at
the passenger ship terminal at approximately 11:30am. We quickly
located a porter to take our luggage and proceeded up to passenger
registration. This was accomplished quickly and efficiently and
despite our being told that we would not be boarding until 1:00pm,
we were onboard ship by 12:15pm. All check-ins should be so
simple.

Exploring the ship: The Triumph is a huge ship and navigating
her

decks can be quite a challenge. Decks 1 and 2 are passenger decks
with standard outside cabins of approximately 235sqft and insides
of 185sqft. Additional signs would be of great help to most as they
are really needed to help one navigate. The crew has resorted to
posting there own paper signs to help passengers out.

Entrance to the ship is gained on deck three by walking across
the side promenade and entering the ship. Entrance is into the
Capitol Atrium. which extends from deck 3 to deck 10. On other
ships I have sailed when one enters the atrium for the first time
the word usually used is wow. In this sense the Capital Atrium is a
letdown as it is not as striking a space as is seen on some other
ships. Done in a combination of black and silver gray marble floors
with black metal ceilings and smoked glass balcony railings the
atrium is very dark and is entirely disconnected from the sea.
There is a large, flat, gold map of the world on the atrium ceiling
that bends around and extends up into the upper atrium. To give the
impression of the earth floating in space the surrounding walls are
done in black with gold stars. There are four glass elevators
serving the atrium and these are lit with white lights and violet
neon. Also outlining the stairs, balconies and floors are miniature
lights and some more violet neon. The whole space reminds one of a
Las Vegas or Atlantic City casino. This feeling extends to other
areas of the ship as well.

Accessible from deck three of the atrium are the lower level of
the two story London Dining Room, the Information Desk and Shore
Excursion/Video Desk. Located in the center of the atrium is the
Capital Bar, which is a central meeting spot and a nice place to
people watch. Live music is played here as well. Forward of the
atrium is the lower level of the Rome Lounge. This is the main show
lounge and is a truly spectacular showplace. Equipped with the
latest in high technology including lasers, the room is three decks
high. The lowest level is not sloped and this means those in the
rear will be dodging heads to get a good view. The balconies are
steeply sloped and except for having to look around some railings
great views can be had from the balconies. The stage has sections
that rotate and elevate. The shows make full use of all the
available technology and they are the best I have seen at sea.

All the way aft on deck three is the London Dining Room. This is
the larger of the two dining rooms and is flanked on three sides by
windows affording great sea views, at least for those luck enough
to be seated near them. The center of the Paris dining room is
large and is also very noisy. Situated between the two dining rooms
is the Galley.

Going up to deck four the Atrium is flanked by the photo
galleries on both sides. Photos taken during the cruise are
displayed here and they sell for $8.00 for a 6"x9" and 8"x10"
portraits sell for $19.95. Going forward of the galleries is the
second level balcony of the Rome lounge, heading aft is the upper
level of the London Dining Room. Tucked to either side of the
dining room entrance are the Washington Library and the Photo shop.
Aft of the dining room are the Oxford Bar, a very nice room for
easy listening and dancing. Unfortunately, the Oxford Bar is
located directly underneath the disco, which destroys the room's
ambiance once the disco gets cranked up. During the afternoon tea
is served here accompanied by chamber music and small pastries are
served. Located on the port side just forward of the Oxford Bar is
the Cardroom. Located all the way aft on deck four is the upper
entrance to the Paris Dining Room.

Deck five is the main entertainment deck on the ship. Located
forward is the upper balcony entrance to the Rome Lounge. Heading
aft and located on either side of the atrium are the Triumph shops
which offer a selection of logo items, liquors, clothing, jewelry
and souvenirs. On the port side aft of the shop is the Olympic
Sports Bar and on the opposite side is a small shop called
Formalities which handles tuxedo rentals. Running along the
starboard side all the way from the atrium to the Club Rio lounge
at the stern is a promenade called World's Way. This promenade
connects all the public rooms on Deck 5. These rooms include the
Club Monaco Casino, World's Bar, Vienna Cafe, Underground Tokyo
video arcade, Hollywood Dance Club disco, The California wine Bar,
The Big Easy Piano Bar and Venezia. Whew! The Vienna Cafe offers
specialty coffees, liquors, pastries and cakes for an extra charge.
The cakes and pastries cost $2.00 and the coffees $3.00 and up. The
Hollywood Dance Club is lined with 500 television monitors which
can create amazing visual effects. Women be aware that the dance
floor of the disco is clear which allows for some interesting views
from the Oxford Bar dance floor located directly below!! The Big
Easy Piano Bar has walls and ceiling lined with oyster shells inset
into a blue colored plaster like material. Certainly the most
unique wall or ceiling finish I have ever seen. Located in the
middle of the room is a grand piano with circular seating around
it. The tables in the room are provided with microphones for
sing-alongs. The Vennezia is a room decorated to evoke Venice. The
room is used for jazz music. Regrettably prior to dinner the room
is used for karaoke which eliminates this room as a venue for a
quiet drink with fine music prior to dinner. In fact it is darn
near impossible to find a quiet spot anywhere on this ship. At the
stern is Club Rio which is the second show lounge for cabaret type
acts. The Captains welcome aboard cocktail party is also held
here.

Decks 6, 7 and 8 are devoted to cabins. The outside cabins have
a small verandah of 45 square feet and an interior area of 180sqft.
The insides are of standard size.

Deck 9 forward is devoted to cabins with verandahs and inside
cabins. Heading aft we find the lowest level of the outdoor lido
area. This contains the Continental Pool, stage, and sunning areas.
Further aft is the Lido dining area called The South Beach Club.
This has dual buffet lines with a centrally located dessert island.
On the Port side is located the Pasta D'Italia and Starboard is the
Hong Kong Noodle Company. All the way aft on deck nine is the New
World Pool and lido area. This area is covered by a moveable
magrodome roof, allowing use in all type of weather. Next to the
pool are two whirlpools. Also located in this area is a bar,
pizzeria, hamburger grill and a self serve soft ice cream
dispenser.

Deck 10 forward has more verandah outside and inside cabins.
This is also the upper terminus for the Capitol Atrium. Going Aft
outside there are terraced sunning areas and the second lido pool
called Universe. Adjacent to this pool is a large whirlpool and the
trough which is at the end of the water slide. Heading aft on
either side and all the way to the stern is a large deck devoted to
sunning. Near the stern is the upper dining level of the South
Beach Club.

Deck 11 contains the Health Spa and gymnasium along with outside
cabins. Aft and fully encircling the huge winged funnel is a the
jogging track.

Lastly Deck 12 contains the aerobics room, juice bar and the
children's room with a children's deck with wading pool located on
the port side. Not shown on the deck plans is the Funnel Deck. This
deck is at deck 12 level and is at the base of the funnel. The
railings are screened off by canvas. This area is a topless
sunbathing area. Signs state that it is for adults only, no still
or video cameras are allowed.

ENTERTAINMENT The entertainment offered on this ship is
outstanding. There are two main production shows "Around The World"
and "Century Cafe". "Around The World" takes you on a musical tour
across the globe. The special effects are wonderful and all one can
say is WOW!. The standing ovation given by the appreciative
audience was well deserved. This is the best show I have ever seen
at sea. "Century Cafe" takes a look at music through the last 100
years, starting in the Victorian era and ending in the 90's all
done on the premises of a cafe which serves as the connecting piece
throughout. While not quite as spectacular as the other show, it is
none the less entertaining and offers an elaborate laser light show
to boot. Comedians, a jazz ensemble, a three piece chamber music
group, and several individual entertainers all combine to provide a
myriad of enjoyable entertainment options. However the layout of
the ship works against some entertainment venues. For example the
Disco is so loud that the it intrudes on the piano bar and the
Oxford Bar. There is a piano player next to the casino who is quite
talented but the din of the casino right across the promenade is a
constant intrusion. Other entertainment includes bingo, horse
racing, dance classes, cards and a wide variety of other daily
activities. The Cruise Director on our cruise was John Heald. He is
truly talented person, just the right blend of silliness and
knowledge, he has a gift for poking fun at everyone and everything
and even if you are the recipient of his barbs you cannot help but
laugh. His talks and lectures should not be missed as they are
almost worth the price of admission, (OOPS, I forgot, no charge!).
Especially nice was the he was at the gangway when we departed to
wish all a safe journey home. Well done, John!.

DINING The food on this ship is perhaps it's weakest link. While
reported to be significantly improved from that offered previously
by Carnival it was found to be nothing memorable. On most ships the
menu's are beautifully printed and present the evenings offering in
a way that makes them understandable and appealing. On this ship
the menus were very small, never varied in color, form or layout
and were somewhat indicative of the dining experience to follow.
Appetizers were lumped together with soups making it harder than it
should be to figure out what one wants for dinner. The appetizers
and soups were pedestrian. The main courses concentrated on beef
and fish, with a lamb and pork offering on two nights. Warm water
lobster was offered on one night. Beef dishes included
chateaubriand and prime rib (twice) and steak. Veal was never
offered. All dishes were served warm and the meats were tender and
of good quality. Most dishes were in the small nouvelle cuisine
size portions so popular today. What the menu lacked was any sense
of a dining adventure. Rolls and breads were poor in quality and
selection and they were nearly tasteless. Also the choice of breads
never varied from night to night. Desserts were a real letdown. On
one night Baked Alaska is served. No other desserts are offered
unless one specifically asks. Similarly Cherries Jubilee was
offered and no other dessert found it's way to our table. I do not
eat cherries so I ordered the Jubilee without the cherries, giving
me a dish of vanilla ice cream. On one night a request for after
dinner cheese was made, but never delivered. A souffle of some sort
with a mysterious white sauce was offered another night. We did not
order this. Our waiter said the chef had made our desert selection
for us!.

The lido dining experience offers self serve buffet items with a
selection of cold cuts, hot dishes, salads and a carving station
with turkey, beef or fresh ham. There is plenty of space on two
levels in which to partake lunch. The buffet area reminded one of
nothing so much as an all-you-can eat buffet at a casino hotel.
Nothing very special, but unlimited quantities. Oriental food items
are available from the Oriental Noodle Company. This offers a
limited menu of Chinese and oriental dishes. Pasta D'Italia offers
just that, Italian pasta dishes.

Our favorite lunch time dining area was the Coney Island Grill
offering hamburgers, hot dogs, steak sandwiches and grilled chicken
breasts along with all the fixings. In the mornings fresh made
omelet's are made here. On the other side is the Pizzeria Napoli.
This is a real pizzeria offering a variety of fresh baked pizzas
and calzones. The pizzeria is open 24 hours a day!. The pizza is
very good and well worth a visit. Also located here is a soft serve
ice cream machine where one could make ice cream cones anytime they
wanted but no toppings were available. A similar set-up is located
by the front lido area.

While maybe not the best dining experience at sea, I doubt if
anyone will go hungry on the Triumph.

SERVICE Our dining room waiter was from Poland and his bus-girl
assistant was from Chile. Both provided good service but did suffer
some minor lapses. Iced tea was not refilled on a few occasions and
bread refills were lacking. But overall they were competent and
tried hard to please. We had a continental style breakfast in our
cabin on our two days at sea and it was delivered exactly at the
time we requested. Some bars seemed understaffed and on a few
occasions we had to wait over five minutes for a bartender to take
our order. This seemed especially true at the Capitol Bar. Deck
drink service was good and not pushy, which was appreciated. A 15%
gratuity is added to all bar bills. One place where service did
shine was at the Captain's welcome aboard cocktail party. Hot
appetizers along with champagne, whiskey sours and screwdrivers
were constantly available, quite a change from other cruises where
you were lucky to see the waiter once or twice.

DECOR The Triumph is reported to be much more subdued in decor
compared to other Carnival ships. Based on pictures I have seen of
other Carnival ships I would say that this is absolutely true.
Carnival's interior designer, Joe Farcus, has made a deliberate
attempt to tone down his somewhat amazing, bold and sometimes
strange interior designs. What he has done with the Triumph
interior is to create an interior decor that offers little of the
neon, glitz and glitter of his other ship designs without offering
the ambiance or refinement of other cruise ships. Mr. Farcus seems
to absolutely hate an unadorned or undecorated wall surface. Every
possible surface has a design of some kind or another. Something
some designers like to call "surface excitement". Perhaps the
oddest, at least for me, was The Big Easy Bar. This room is covered
on the upper half of the walls and all of the ceiling with oyster
shells set into a deep blue colored material. What oysters have to
do with the "Big Easy" I don't know.

While this penchant for covering every surface with something is
not a problem in some areas, it is bothersome in others. Especially
bothersome is the rear lido area, including the South Beach Cafe,
where wall decorations of different colored glass create a pattern
that resembles a giant eyeball. These are lined up all around the
room and lido area perimeter. The image is not unlike that of the
CBS eye, but in color. It gives one the uneasy feeling that "Big
Brother" is watching you!. I also found some floor covering color
patterns a bit jarring. The show lounges, the Oxford Bar, the
library and Venenzia lounge are all nicely decorated. Overall, the
feeling one has is that of a themed casino hotel. In and of itself
this might have been OK but the layout and decor has served to
disconnect passengers from the sea. The interior is very dark in
the atrium.

PORTS OF CALL Being a four day cruise we had just one stop,
Halifax, Nova Scotia. This is an historic old sea port and has some
sites of interest. Most of the shore excursions revolve around a
visit to Peggy's Cove. This is a rocky and boulder strewn location
situated around a very small cove. A white and red lighthouse sits
at the highest point overlooking the Atlantic. The site offers
great opportunities for photographs. However shopping is extremely
limited with only two small shops.

On our day at Peggy's Cove the weather was perfect offering
unlimited vistas. This is the exception rather than the rule. Our
guide said that a day like ours happens only once in a hundred.
whether this is true or not we were told that the prior few cruises
had poor weather for their visits. One problem is that the place
tends to get overrun with visitors. You get only about 1 hour or so
at the cove and better than an hour ride to and from it. If were
visiting Halifax again I would skip this trip and concentrate on
the sites in and around Halifax as you would make better use of the
limited time you are there. We didn't do much shopping so I can't
really comment on what is available in Halifax. We did buy a few
things at the pier-side vendor area, and given the favorable
exchange rate, prices were very reasonable.

ODDS & ENDS The Triumph rides like all modern cruise ships.
She is sensitive to wind and sea conditions and will list when she
makes a turn. On our cruise we had very calm seas and the ship
developed a very easy and slow motion that was barely perceptible
most of the time. One could almost forget that they were at sea
when inside the ship. However, on our return to NYC the ship did
take on a noticeable list to starboard. This list lasted for about
10 minutes or so. Others noticed it as well, but I doubt if it
exceeded 5 to 7 degrees. I have no idea what may have caused it. I
also have no idea why Carnival provides nothing but a bar of soap
in the bathroom (bring your own toiletries!).

The ship was spotless, as befits a new ship. The crew is doing a
good job so far of keeping the ship in top condition. The swimming
pools are filled with sea water on a daily basis, but the sea water
temperature was in the high 60's and not really conducive to taking
a dip. The hot tubs were all in operation and they were
surprisingly un-crowded all of the time. The water slide was great
fun and although the water was equally as cold as the pools it was
barely noticed given the excitement of going down the slide. Watch
out for that last turn, it comes quickly and you are discharged
into a long trough, and you barely have time to catch your breath
before you are in the trough. Regrettably, the slide is only open
for limited hours during the day and I would imagine that on a
Caribbean cruise the slide would be very crowded whenever it is
open. There are rinse off showers next to the pools but these were
cold water showers. Warn water would be much better.

Purchasing of shore excursion tickets needs to be rethought. I
was told that it will be changed. But we had to endure a nearly 30
minute line in order to purchase tickets. Had we been alone we
would have toured on our own, but we were with a small group and
some felt uncomfortable doing this.

SUMMING UP I must admit that some of my preconceived notions
about Carnival were wrong. The entertainment and service was better
than I thought it would be. My fellow passengers seemed to be fun
loving but far from the "Party Hearty" crowd I thought they would
be. Perhaps this is due to the time of the year we cruised. I for
one did not really care for most of the interior decor, the feeling
of being disconnected from the sea or the sheer size of the
ship.

I think the Triumph will be far better suited to the warm
weather of the Caribbean as this is the area she was designed for.
Our small group which included three first time cruisers left with
mixed emotions. We had a great deal of fun during the cruise which
was our main objective. Given the highly discounted price we paid
for this cruise we received great value for our dollar. But we all
came away with the feeling that four days on this ship was enough
and in the future we would look elsewhere for our next cruise.

Our second cruise from New Orleans.We had a blast! Weather was
kind of cool & windy going & coming back, but it was to be
expected in Feb. Snorkeling in Cozumel was awesome! If I went back,
I would stay on the boat in Progresso. It was dirty & not a lot
to do. It is very convenient for us to drive to N.O. You can't beat
the cost of the trip & the value that Carnival gives you. I
will definitely go again. Maybe try Mobile next time!

Just came off a fantastic cruise off the beautiful Carnival
Triumph. After reading many reviews of the ship I was concerned
with the quality of not only the crew but the ship as well, but I
must say I was pleasantly surprised.

We live only a few hours from New Orleans so we drove our
personal vehicle the day before departure. Looking for a good deal
on parking is hard to come by as parking at the port ranges from
$16.00 to $18.00 per day. We found a great cruise and park deal
with the Holiday Inn Superdome, the package involves one night (or
more if you wish) stay prior to your cruise and you have
complimentary parking in their parking garage during the duration
of your cruise. This hotel also offers a complimentary shuttle to
the ship, however since Katrina the driver informed my husband and
I that no hotels are allowed to pick up passengers upon their
return to the port. The Holiday Inn Superdome is an older hotel,
but it was well taken care of and the staff was professional and
very kind.

The morning of departure we took

the time to wander around New Orleans, the French Quarter is only a
few blocks from the hotel so it was an easy walk. Bourbon Street is
a must; Café Beignet is a quaint jazz themed eatery who serves the
infamous Beignets’ at a reasonable price. Fantastic…I think
Carnival needs to add them to their breakfast buffet. There is
still hurricane damage in parts of the city, some buildings are
still boarded up, but otherwise the city was in fantastic and
festive shape.

We arrived at the pier around 1:30pm thinking we would miss the
crowd, but we were very wrong. Being our 4th Carnival cruise we
thought we had this timing figured out. It took around an hour and
a half to board the ship, this was a good lesson for my husband on
why we need to keep cruising, once he saw the MUCH shorter VIP line
he wanted to be Platinum already. ? Even though the line was long,
the Carnival staff was helpful and in high spirits, they kept the
lines moving and the crowd in a festive mood. However, it did help
that the Saints are in the Super Bowl, WHO DAT??

Having sailed on the CCL Glory and a couple of the Fantasy class
ships in the Carnival line we are used to that Vegas style feeling
that Carnival is infamous for. The Triumph being built in 1999 was
no exception to this rule; however it did seemed to be toned down
from the Fantasy class ships we have sailed on. The ship is in
great shape for her age, of course there will be some wear and tear
but overall beautiful condition and very clean. We chose an inside
stateroom for this cruise, it was our first experience with one and
we actually loved it. The cabin is very spacious; there was plenty
of room for the two of us and lots of storage, plenty for a 4 day
cruise. I do highly suggest bringing a power cord as there is only
one outlet in the room. There is a hair dryer in the bathroom, but
I would suggest bringing one if you have very thick hair as the one
provided is not very powerful. Our room steward was great he asked
our names once and called us by name the rest of the cruise, even
when we were just passing through. Our room was always picked up
upon our return to the cabin.

We ate on the upper portion of the London dining room. I mention
this because that was the only area on the ship assigned to
Carnival new Any Time dining schedule. We were told to show up to
the dining room between 5:30pm and 9pm and be seated for dinner. It
was nice since it fit into our schedule, however it did take away
the personal experience of getting to know your waiter and your
fellow cruisers. You are asked if you would prefer a table for just
your party or if you would like to eat with fellow cruisers, the
only problem with this is that many cruisers wanted to eat with
just their party. We ate with just the two of us all but the first
night, which was a disappointment as we did not get the chance to
make friends through this experience. The food was good, we have
noticed the quality getting worse through the years, but it was
much better than anything we would be eating at home. The Lido café
always had some combination of pizza, hamburgers, and salad. Of
course we still had our ritual of taking advantage of 24 hour ice
cream cones.

Cruising out of New Orleans in late January means chilly
cruising. Pack warm for those dates. The first day out it was in
the 70’s so we were able to enjoy the lido pool area, our cruise
was not full so there were plenty of deck chairs to choose from. We
enjoyed Carnivals usual entertainment (hairy chest competition,
carnival Olympics, dance contests, etc) and of course the live
music. We had one musician who reminded us of a bad American Idol
contestant, but the Calypso and variety bands were great. The LED
screen on deck was nice; they usually showed the news and a
relaxation video, at night they offered concerts and movies under
the stars. On Sunday the Pro Bowl was featured….in Spanish. Cozumel
was in the 80’s and sunny, absolutely beautiful. We chose to walk
downtown, it took us about 45 minutes, and it is more like 2 miles,
the taxis will tell you 4. We ate at Panchos’ Backyard, a gourmet
Mexican restaurant, the food was great and the atmosphere was
serene with live music and an open air design. This was our 3rd
trip to Cozumel so we did not partake in any shore excursions, but
you can see beautiful coral on the beach by the sidewalk into and
out of town.

The last day at sea was very cold. The high was around the high
50’s, needless to say Carnival sold many sweaters and sweatshirts
on our cruise. We enjoyed ice carving demonstrations and more
Carnival games by the pool, however we wore our robes and used our
beach towels as blankets. Still enjoyable, just had to improvise
and overcome. ?

The shows were spectacular, how the dancers can dance so well
and not topple over during the wavier shows is remarkable. Our
cruise staff was very helpful and cheerful. We did not encounter
one bad employee, and even had the chance to chat with many of
them. We took part in Carnivals On Deck for the Cure walk, in the
last 2 years Carnival has donated over $2.2 million to the Susan G
Komen Breast Cancer foundation with this walk. We donated $20.00
and got pink bracelets and T-shirts as well as participated in the
one mile walk around the track. Our assistant cruise director
informed us that through this organized walk on every ship Carnival
averages $90,000 a month in donations to the foundation. VERY GOOD
WORK Carnival and Carnival Cruisers!!!!

Overall the Triumph is a beautiful ship, a truly classic
Carnival fun ship. The crowd was a bunch of excited New Orleans
fans looking forward to this weekend, WHO DAT??!! The staff only
added to the enjoyment and festive atmosphere of the voyage. We are
defiantly Carnival cruisers for life and are looking forward to
cruising out of New Orleans again in the near future. Go Carnival
and Go SAINTS!!!!